Most recruiters do extensive email outreach to access the pool of passive candidates. But how can this process be optimized based on data?
We did lots of research on this subject both with our data and other research sources
Let’s dive in:
- Never use your company’s main domain name. If you get any spam complaints during your outreach, this might affect the deliverability of important emails. You don’t want your invoices ending up in your clients’ spam folders. Instead, use “disposable” domains, e.g., get+your_company_name.com or your_company_name+HR.com, etc.
- Google Workspace emails have much better deliverability than Microsoft Outlook emails
- Always warm up the emails for new domains. For example, buy a disposable domain and then 5 emails with this domain and warm them up by gradually sending emails for 10-15 days. You can use tools like WarmUpInbox to do this automatically for you.
The key insights on email scouting for candidates is a balance of data-driven strategies and personalized engagement to maximize email outreach effectiveness.
Regarding the Frequency and Timing of scouting emails.
- The ideal number of emails in a sequence is five. Engagement and interest rates significantly increase up to the fifth email but plateau afterward. 50% of positive replies come from follow-up emails. 1 or 2 emails do not cut the chase anymore. Be persistent in a clever way but never pushy.
- Spacing between emails should allow time for consideration, typically 6 days between the first and second emails.
Subject Lines:
- Short and personalized subject lines perform best, ideally 3–9 words.
- Tokens like candidate names, job titles, and company names boost open rates. Use conversational and value-driven language.
Email Content:
- Keep messages concise (101–150 words for initial emails) while focusing on the candidate’s perspective, growth opportunities, and company culture.
- Avoid lengthy job descriptions or extensive lists of requirements. Highlight flexibility, career advancement, and leadership.
Timing Insights:
- Emails sent on Tuesday mornings or over the weekend tend to have higher open rates. Especially the email outreach during the weekends is a big untapped opportunity that many recruiters do not do.
- The best times to send emails during the week are 8 AM, 10 AM, and 4 PM.
Personalization:
- Personalizing the first paragraph with details about the candidate’s achievements or interests increases engagement.
- Highly personalized messages achieve a 73% engagement rate compared to generic ones. Here is where AI can shine and massively increase your engagement rate. Not a dry, typical AI. An AI that can research deep into the candidate and do deep personalization.
Examples and Creativity:
- Use engaging and conversational language, occasionally incorporating humor, puns, or pop culture references to stand out. Use clever memes. This increases open rates massively!
- Leverage social proof by including employee testimonials, media mentions, or success stories to build trust.
Follow-Up Strategies:
- Long-term nurture emails can re-engage candidates who initially responded with “not now.”
- “Breakup emails” (final follow-ups) can use humor, loss aversion, or parting gifts to leave a lasting impression.
Hope you found these insights useful. What are your insights on email outreach for candidate scouting? Shoot us an email and help us do better!
